Greater New Orleans

Seafood declared safe in Barataria

Recreational and commercial fishing has been reopened in the Barataria basin, the coastal area hit the hardest by the massive BP oil spill.

ELIOT KAMENITZ / THE TIMES PICAYUNE Louisiana soft shell crabs at the New Orleans Fish House.

Officials say tests show it is safe to fish in Barataria, an important seafood estuary. Parts of the basin were closed to commercial fishermen until Tuesday's announcement.

Robert Barham, the state's wildlife and fisheries secretary, ordered the opening after the Food and Drug Administration advised that shrimp, crabs and finfish are safe to eat based on tissue samples tested from closed areas.

"Today we are one step closer to resuming normal fishing practices," Barham said.